Keen Utility Tacoma Work Boots

Pro Tool Reviews

If your work involves being on your feet, then you have to protect them. That’s Keen Utility’s business and the Keen Utility Tacoma Work Boots series was designed to do just that.

The Tacoma was a huge launch for Keen Utility this year. It seems they put nearly every innovation they have into this launch and it showed with a 2016 Pro Tool Innovation Award. There’s a lot to talk about with this premium boot, so let’s get right down to it and take a look at why these boots are so special.

You can get the Keen Utility Tacoma in four styles to match your needs and preference. Wellington and high cut styles have a composite toe and the mid cut style come with either a composite toe or soft toe. For this review, we went with the Tacoma XT CSA which is their taller composite toe model.

Innovations

I could spend this entire review just talking about the innovations that Keen has put into the Tacoma work boot. However, rather than sounding like a Presbyterian Minister who doesn’t own a watch, I’ll give you my favorites and you can take a look at the rest of the bottom of the page.

Cleansport NXT

Both hard-working guys and their spouses can appreciate Keen’s Cleansport NXT natural odor control. This is a biological innovation that we can thank hockey players for. Essentially, microbes come to life when your feet start sweating and neutralize the odor that is created. when they run out of food, they simply go dormant again until the next day when you start sweating all over again.

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Barnyard.proof Leather

Sometimes it’s hard to tell if I work harder and longer at my day job or when I’m off the clock on a horse farm in Georgia. Regardless of where the work is being done, Keen Barnyard.proof leather protects the Tacoma from all kinds of chemicals and animal waste.

KEEN.Dry

If you’re one of those strange guys that manages to get through the work day without having sweaty feet, then you can just disregard this section. For the rest of us normal human beings, KEEN.Dry Is an important innovation that keeps moisture from working its way in yet stays breathable so moisture can get out.

Features

In addition to the innovations built into the Keen Utility Tacoma Work Boots, several other features stand out as well. The seemingly bulbous toe boxes are the result of left/right specific composite safety toes and are an instantly recognizable characteristic of Keen Utility boots.

There are several ways of connecting outsoles and midsoles to the upper. Welting is among the oldest and best constructed methods you can find. You can always tell a welted boot from the stitching around the outer portion of the lower. It’s simply a connection that will last much longer than glues (cement) and chemical bonding.

There are some unseen features that are worth noting as well. A puncture-resistant LENZI board offers lightweight protection compared to steel plates an is designed to keep sharp objects from penetrating the boot. A TPU stability shank also finds its way in there, offering stability across uneven terrain and around loose ground.

I was initially concerned about the plastic hooks for lacing up my boots. Typically, metal trumps plastic in almost every application. The issue with boots though, is that those metal hooks tend to bend a little bit and over the course of a few months with cheap ones (or a couple years good ones), metal fatigue finally sets in and you snap one. I banged around the hooks a quite a bit and gave them some rough treatment while lacing them up and I have to say I’m pretty impressed with how durable they ended up being. With what I’ve seen so far, it sure seems like they’ll outlast the metal hooks I’m used to.

A removable dual density EVA footbed offers additional comfort since EVA foam in the lower would break down too quickly. EVA foam is found in running shoes and does a great job of absorbing the shock of foot strikes, but typically has a lifespan of just 3 – 6 months. Since the footbed is removeable, it can be easily swapped out when it’s time for replacement.

The bottom line is that the Keen Utility Tacoma Work Boots are packed with innovation and features. But they don’t mean much if the boot doesn’t fit and they’re not comfortable on long days.

Keen Utility Tacoma Work Boots Additional Key Features

100% Non-metallic construction

90 degree heel

Full-grain leather upper

Left and right asymmetrical composite toe

Meets CSA Z195-09 Grade 1 standards for protection

Meets or exceeds ASTM F1677-96 Mark II non-slip testing standards

Meets or exceeds ASTM F2412-11 and F2413-11 I/75 C/75 EH standards

Oil and slip resistant non-marking rubber outsole

Fit

Fit has to be the number one concern when finding a good work boot. If the boot doesn’t fit correctly, everything else about the design is immediately out of whack. I ordered 14 wide (hey, I’m a big guy) and found the fit to be nearly perfect.

The large toe boxes definitely gave my toes some room to spread out. It’s a different feel from traditional work boots, but once you get used to them, you’ll never want to go back.

Performance and Comfort on the Job

I’m constantly moving around and working between the fire department, farm, and warehouse. So from cement floors at the fire station to clay arenas and horse trails in the North Georgia woods, I’ve had the Keen Utility Tacoma Work Boots in a wide variety of environments.

Normally I have to be selective of when I wear boots like these because my feet get hot and start to sweat. That moisture gets locked in and can lead to all sorts of uncomfortable consequences. My feet did still sweat in these boots, but the membrane allowed the moisture to escape. On the other side of the coin, the waterproof nature kept my feet from getting soaked even when standing in a shallow creek to build a bridge.

I could tell the difference in the Keen Utility Tacoma Work Boots when it comes to long days. The combination of open toe box and composite safety toe is a big improvement over my normal steel toe work boots. Even though the outsole and midsole itself is designed to last a long time, the insertion of an EVA footbed left my feet much more comfortable even on working on a concrete surface all day.

Those were just the things that stood out to me. There’s no telling exactly how much the other innovations and features improved the overall comfort simply because they work behind the scenes.

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The Bottom Line

The Keen Utility Tacoma Work Boots are the new flagship for the brand in my opinion. They’re packed with innovative features, are comfortable on long days, and have a great fit. Clearly, they’re a major step up from the mid-range boots I normally go to. I don’t know that you can ask for much more from a work boot than what I’m getting from the Tacoma.

About The Author

Luke does remodeling and repair construction work by day. During his "off" time, he helps maintain a horse farm. When he's not out enjoying the outdoors, you can catch him as a riding double on Fox's Sleepy Hollow. Incidentally, he also makes the best burger this side of the Mississippi.